by Ann Pickering, Wednesday 14 August 2019

By Ann Pickering, Chief HR Officer and Chief of Staff Today marks A-Level results day in the UK. A nerve wracking time for thousands of young people across the country. Naturally, it’s also a time for young people to plot their routes from school into the working world. Some will be looking to university degrees …
more »

by Ann Pickering, Friday 10 May 2019

Today marks the start of Mental Health Awareness week. An initiative established nearly 20 years ago to help raise awareness of mental health. With an estimated 1 in 6 people experiencing a mental health problem in the last week alone, it’s clear to see that tackling the issue of mental health remains a national priority. …
more »

by Ann Pickering, Thursday 7 March 2019

This Friday marks International Women’s Day – a great time to reflect on the importance of gender balance, both for economies and communities to thrive. Recent research from McKinsey has found that organisations with a healthy gender balance are 21% more likely to outperform their competitors. Previous Women and Work Commission reports have also shown that unleashing …
more »

by Ann Pickering, Wednesday 11 July 2018

The overwhelming focus for many people today will be on this evening’s FIFA World Cup semi-final between England and Croatia. As England have progressed through the tournament, there has been increasing interest in how a group of disparate young men – the fiercest of rivals when playing for their club sides – have become such …
more »

by Ann Pickering, Tuesday 5 June 2018

When O2 began funding and mentoring young people to run social action projects through our Think Big programme seven years ago, youth unemployment was over 20%. At a time when the job market was particularly tough for young people, social action offered them a way to develop self-confidence, leadership, teamwork, project delivery and other skills …
more »

by Ann Pickering, Friday 17 January 2014

I attended the launch of the O2 Local Government Digital Fund recently to hear how Local Authorities use digital technology to benefit their employees and where they have identified potential to improve. At O2 we have looked closely at how we can improve workforce efficiency and collaboration through flexible working, putting our own staff in …
more »

by Ann Pickering, Monday 29 April 2013

Ten years ago, we didn’t have social media teams or app development experts. It’s a clear sign that the world’s evolving – and at a fast pace. To stay ahead, businesses need to recruit people with the right attitude to adapt to these changes. In my role at O2, one of my primary goals is …
more »